


Social Studies

by apothekemilie



Category: Naruto
Genre: Friendship/Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-13
Updated: 2014-07-13
Packaged: 2018-02-08 11:55:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1940103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apothekemilie/pseuds/apothekemilie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sai decides that the best way to learn how to make friends would be through having a 'friendship tutor' of sorts, and who would be more perfect for the job than the ever-enthusiastic and friendly Rock Lee? Of course, with such clashing personalities embarrassing things are sure to happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Realisation

     It was pretty much common knowledge that the remaining members of Team 7 had very little patience for anything that lay beyond the scope of their own training. Naruto, for example, simply could not handle the minute long wait for his ramen noodles to cool and instead often opted to form a mini-Rasengan, knowing that the small gust of wind from it would help blow away much of the heat that kept him from eating. Sakura, on the other hand, while clearly having grown quite a bit, still had no patience for idiocy or foolishness, particularly in Naruto's case. Knowing that, it isn't a huge leap in logic to see why Sai often found himself alone. It wasn't that he didn't like being alone. In fact, he was trained to be used to solitude. In Root bonds and friendships weren't frequently formed and never lasted long, and after the death of his brother, Sai found himself retreating into the much safer shell that he knew he was trained to enter: that of emotionlessness.

     However, since beginning training with new peers, the realization was made that he needed to know how to understand his new comrades. Sai needed to learn how to interact with them in a manner that did not offend or upset if they were going to get anywhere and collaborate properly on missions. Beyond that, as time went on, he had this nagging idea in the back of his mind that perhaps he might actually want to be 'normal' by their standards. He might want to have friends. It was strange, to say the least, that Sai had any sort of urge beyond those that were basic to human function, but there he was, book in hand, trying to learn how to properly socialize once more. Naruto had told him time and time again that he couldn't really learn how to make friends and be a friend through only a book, but as things were now he had enough of an idea of the so-called 'social cues' that his teammates gave to know that they didn't have the patience to work with him themselves, nor did they, he suspected, even have the skills to teach him. After all, Sakura was (almost) always in some state of anger, at least as far as he saw, and Naruto, despite his newfound popularity as an exceptional ninja, was still a little too immature for Sai’s tastes.

     With a soft huff, Sai put his book down. He really did need to find himself someone to teach him how to properly interact with others. Really, he should find multiple teachers to help train him in the 'social arts' as he had started calling it in the back of his mind. Training with more than one person was a long-term goal though, something he would need once he got the basics down. Then again, maybe it was only the basics that he needed, and then like a child might, he could pick up on the rest on his own. Yes, that would probably be the best route to take, he decided. There was no need to become a friend making master. He just needed to learn how to properly make friends with his fellow ninja, those with whom he would be working most closely. As such, having a shinobi as his teacher would make the most sense. As he had read, those with common interests and goals are often the ones that are easiest to socialise with since shared experiences allow for easy conversation which facilitates the formation of bonds.

     The question then became who such a teacher should be. Clearly Sai needed someone with patience and determination since it was obvious that he wasn't the easiest to work with. Even he could tell that. Beyond that they would need passion for the subject matter, since Sai seemed to be incapable of showing much enthusiasm himself. Understanding would also be incredibly important as he knew he would most definitely be a student who would have a hard time properly communicating and understanding even his own emotions when they begin to arise. Perhaps most important though was that Sai work with someone near his own age, since it was obvious even to him that different generations have different basic forms of socialisation and social rules.

     Sai ran through the list in his head of his shinobi peers over and over, short as it was, and only one name stood out to him. He stood up from his desk, stretched out with a muted grunt and decided to pay a visit to the man who he hoped would accept him as his pupil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh so this is the first fic i've written in about 5 years? that aside, i hope you like it so far anyway! please feel free to comment, rate, and all that good stuff!
> 
> also special thank you to my two lovely betas: popcorn-pieces and bikehell!


	2. It's a Simple Enough Arrangement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sai decides how he should repay Lee for his services before he even asks for help in the first place.

     One of the nicer things about Rock Lee was that he could almost always be found on the training grounds doing a few thousand sit ups, punches, handstands, or pull ups. Sun, cloud, rain, or snow, Lee would train in any weather. After all, a splendid ninja should be accustomed to hard work in any environment. Knowing that, Sai began his trek over to the fields where he was sure he'd find his new 'trainer.'

     Typically, people are not altruistic in their endeavours. They do not act without knowing that they may get something or benefit in exchange. Would Lee be the same? He was still human after all, and it didn't seem to Sai that Lee did anything without knowing that it would benefit him. That was why he wore that ugly green jumpsuit with orange legwarmers (Sai shuddered, his inner artist cringing at the colour combination). It was why he wore those ungodly weights on his legs wherever he went, why he trained so hard. Lee knew that doing those things to himself would help him become stronger as a ninja. Actually, Sai thought, maybe that was why Naruto and Sakura wore such unflattering colours as well. They would become numb to fashion atrocity and embarrassment. Sai wasn't familiar with the emotions himself, but he at least knew that they hindered one's 'self-confidence' which would affect performance in the long run.

     So... Lee would likely want compensation for his troubles in helping Sai learn how to properly make friends. Should he ask him what he would want to be paid, or would it be better to just offer a gift? Sai stopped a moment to think it over. Lee was not altruistic, to his knowledge, but he was exceedingly polite. Knowing that, would it be possible that Lee could refuse payment on the grounds of not wanting to seem selfish? Would that cause him to resent this sort of work? Would even the idea of being repaid for something like this seem repugnant to the ninja and cause him to decline the chance to work with Sai at all? While Sai knew that Lee was less likely to outright refuse him, he knew that it would be better to play things safe rather than sorry. He would simply have to come up with some form of payment before he asked for help in the first place.

     Sai's pace slowed. He wasn't particularly close to the grounds, and there were still plenty of stores and stands where he could find some sort of bargaining trinket for Lee before beginning his training. After all, being paid in cash from the get-go would probably seem too forward. Perhaps they could discuss such payment later on. In the meantime, some small gift would probably be better. Right? Sai chewed his lip in thought as he stopped in front of a store. Payment… Gift giving... It was kind of the same thing anyway, right? Well, he wouldn't know until he tried. With a hesitated sense of resolve, Sai stepped inside the shop, knowing that there would be something there for Lee.

     This particular store mostly sold ninja supplies, kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, tags of all sorts, and scrolls. Though the blank scrolls he found here weren't as good as the ones he used for his art ninjutsu, they were still fairly nice. ...Then again, Lee couldn't summon, could he? Maybe shuriken would be better? But wait... Shuriken were better for long range fighters. Smoke bombs? No. Lee didn't have any sort of ability that could allow him an advantage in a smoky field. With a huff, Sai stepped back and eyed the wares along the walls of the shop before his gaze settled on a particular kunai; its handle was wrapped in an out-of-the-ordinary green tape when usually it was just white, black, or silver that adorned the tools. This must've been a new brand or something. Sai picked it up and examined it more closely. It was lighter than the usual kunai, but the metal seemed strong with an exceptionally sharp edge. Yes, this would do nicely. This kind of weapon wouldn't weigh Lee down any more than another kunai, and with its sharp blade, it was more suited for hand-to-hand combat rather than just throwing. Not to mention the green was probably a near match to what he wore on that gaudy jumpsuit. It was _perfect_.

     Sai brought the tool up to the salesperson in the front of the shop, made his purchase, and tucked away it into his bag. Satisfied with his payment/gift, Sai left the store and continued on his way to the training grounds.

* * *

 

     True to form, Rock Lee was there by a set of logs ingrained in the ground, huffing as he practiced a combination form that Sai either didn't know or didn't care to recognise. He couldn't really tell.

     Sai waited patiently, standing stock still save for a hand in his pocket that fiddled with the spare paintbrush there. In the back of his mind he realised that back in the days when he trained in Root, that kind of fidgeting would have been unacceptable, but here... Well, he figured no one would even notice. Partly that felt...pleasant? Like relief? On the other hand he wondered if he should be scolding himself for allowing his behaviour to become so lax. Either way, he was interrupted from his thoughts by a chipper, though ragged-sounding voice.

     "Sai-san! Are you waiting for me? My apologies. I will be finishing these sets up soon! If I cannot, I will do 3000 crunches! I assure you, however, that that shall /not/ be the case!" Lee called out, not stopping from his training.

     "Yes, I'm waiting, but please, do not rush on my behalf. There's no hurry at all," Sai replied, deciding to hop up onto a spare log in the field and take a seat on it. He then pulled out his current sketch book and began to doodle a few different creatures, a bird among the clouds, a dragon ready to pounce upon a lion. Did dragons even eat lions? He had no idea, but it wasn't of any consequence. As he was just starting to come up with a design for some sort of thunder god, he registered a shift in the movement before him and looked up to see that Lee was just now finishing up his training for the day. The green clad ninja was re-tying the bandages about his arms, reaching for his water bottle and taking a swig shortly after. As he drank, he approached Sai who had by then tucked away the sketches and hopped down from the log.

     "You wanted to talk to me, Sai-san?" Lee asked, grinning in a wide and friendly manner that well suited him.

     "Yes," Sai replied as he pulled the green-taped kunai from his bag to offer up. "I would very much appreciate it if you could assist me in my social studies."

     "S-Social studies?" Lee asked, his gaze shifting from Sai's false smile to the weapon in his hand. "You mean history, civics, and politics? I would be more than happy to assist you! Though I do not know what I could teach that you could not learn just as easily from books."

     "No,” Sai said, “That isn't what I mean exactly. I mean that I wish to be tutored in... Social skills? As in, how to make friends?"

     Lee gasped and his smile widened. "Why of course I would be willing to help you in such endeavours, Sai-san! I promise you now that I will teach you absolutely everything I know about making friends, being a truly splendid friend, and finding love in this crazy and wonderful world of ours! If I cannot, I will do 10,000 handstands in a day!" He said, clapping Sai on the back and laughing gleefully. That kind of genuine passion and enthusiasm was exactly what he needed in a tutor.

     "Great." Sai replied in his typical deadpan, thrusting the kunai in Lee's direction. "When do we start?"

     Lee paused to look down to the tool, having truthfully forgotten about seeing it a moment ago, and tilted his head to the side.

     "What is this?"

     "Your payment." Sai figured that much should have been obvious.

     "Wh--... Sai-san, no. This is totally unnecessary."

     "I said it is your payment. You have agreed to tutor me, and I value your service. This is what I figured might be a good way to repay you until we could arrange something more solid. Was my line of thinking wrong?" Sai's false smile never faltered as he spoke. Part of him wondered if he really had been mistaken in choosing such a simple gift as payment…

     "I... Well... If you insist, Sai-san. But no more after this! I wish to teach you as a friend! Payment is not needed!" Lee said, taking the kunai.

     Sai took a moment to register that Lee had used the term ‘friend’ but quickly recovered. "Very well. When do we begin?"

     Lee took a moment, thinking it over. "Well... I have a mission with my team in the morning, so I must hurry home to rest, otherwise I would say that we should begin now! Hm.... How about the day after tomorrow around 10 AM? We should be back by then, and I will have already completed my morning training!"

     Sai paused, mentally checking his schedule over the next few days as well. "That sounds fine to me. We will meet here?"

     "If this is where you would like to begin, then by all means!” Lee replied with a chuckle, placing his hands on his waist.

     "It is.” He paused, suddenly remembering his manners. “Thank you very much, Lee-san. I will see you then."

     "Not a problem at all! Have a nice night, Sai-san! I very much look forward to working with you!" Lee said as he gave him a thumbs up. Sai replied with another saccharine smile and soft noise of acknowledgement, then the two took their separate ways.

* * *

 

     "And so he gave me this, insisting that I deserved it!"

     "Why would he do that, though?" Tenten asked.

     "You know he isn't exactly adept in understanding other people." Neji replied before Lee had a chance to say anything himself.

     "You're right... I guess it's kinda sweet of him then?"

     "Not to mention it's very kind of Lee to help the lad out! Good on you, Lee! I'm sure that you would be able to help anyone embrace their youth through the power of friendship!"

     "Thank you, Gai-sensei!" Lee cried out in reply, tears already forming in the corners of his eyes.

     The other two members of Team 3 walked on, ignoring their friend and sensei’s outburst, but Tenten still couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of unease that accompanied the idea of Sai wanting something from Lee. She tried to rationalize it as the former starting to emotionally mature, but even then it all just seemed so…strange. Part of her wondered if she should keep an extra eye on the boy, but the idea was ultimately cast aside. Lee was a capable ninja on his own, and really, what harm could Sai really do, anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh so this is the first fic i've written in about 5 years? i know the prologue is kinda short but i hope you like it so far anyway! please feel free to comment, rate, and all that good stuff!
> 
> also special thank you to my two lovely betas: popcorn-pieces and bikehell!


End file.
